Short Version of The Depression Anxiety Stress Scal-21: Is It Valid For Jordanian Adults

Abstract Background: Given the potential utility of depression anxiety stress scale-21 and the availability of a reliable Arabic version, the current study aimed to collect information about the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the Jordanian version by administering it to adult members of the community. Thus, the depression-anxiety-stress scale was used in examining mental disorders in Jordanian adults. Methods: The study included adults of both sexes aged 18 to 72 years. The reliability of the overall DASS-21 scores and the three DASS-21 subscales were calculated. Exploratory factor analysis was used to test construct validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed for the two models (one-factor and three-factor models) for DASS-21 to determine the best factor structure for DASS-21 in the adult sample.Results: The findings revealed that the DASS-21 has high reliability and validity indicators, with Cronbach's alpha values exceeding 0.80. Pearson's correlation between DASS-21 and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were strongly positive, indicating that DASS-21 has sufficient convergent and divergent validity. The exploratory factor analysis showed that the three-factor model had the best indicators, and the confirmatory factor analysis results confirmed that the three-factor model was the fittest and most appropriate. Conclusion: The current study's findings suggest that the Jordanian version of the DASS-21 can be used as a reliable and valid scale for measuring depression, anxiety, and stress in adults.